Psalm 21
English Standard Version
The King Rejoices in the Lord's Strength
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
21 O Lord, in your (A)strength the king rejoices,
and in your (B)salvation how greatly he exults!
2 You have (C)given him his heart's desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
3 For you (D)meet him with rich blessings;
you set (E)a crown of (F)fine gold upon his head.
4 He asked life of you; you (G)gave it to him,
(H)length of days forever and ever.
5 His (I)glory is great through your salvation;
(J)splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
6 For you make him most blessed forever;[a]
you make him glad with the (K)joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord,
and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be (L)moved.
8 Your hand will (M)find out all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
9 You will make them as (N)a blazing oven
when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his (O)wrath,
and (P)fire will consume them.
10 You (Q)will destroy their (R)descendants from the earth,
and their offspring from among the children of man.
11 Though they plan evil against you,
though they (S)devise mischief, they will not succeed.
12 For you will put them (T)to flight;
you will (U)aim at their faces with your bows.
13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.
Footnotes
- Psalm 21:6 Or make him a source of blessing forever
Psalm 21
Evangelical Heritage Version
Psalm 21
Thanksgiving for Victory
Heading
For the choir director. A psalm by David.
The People Thank the Lord for Victory
1 O Lord, the king rejoices in your strength.
He joyfully celebrates salvation from you.
2 You have granted him what his heart desired. Interlude
You have not denied the request from his lips.
3 Yes, you meet him to give him great blessings.
You place a crown of pure gold on his head.
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
length of days, forever and ever.
5 He receives great glory through the salvation you gave.
You bestow splendor and majesty on him.
6 Surely you grant him blessings forever.
You make him glad with joy in your presence.
7 Surely the king trusts in the Lord,
and through the mercy of the Most High he will not be shaken.
The People Assure the King of Future Victory
8 Your hand will reach all your enemies.
Your right hand will reach those who hate you.
9 At the time when you appear, O Lord,
you will make them like a blazing furnace.
In his anger he will swallow them.
Fire will consume them.
10 You will cause their fruit to perish from the earth,
their seed[a] from among the children of Adam.
11 Indeed, they intend[b] evil against you.
They plan wicked schemes,
but they will not succeed,
12 because you will make them turn and run
when you get ready to aim your arrows at them.
The People Praise the Lord
13 Rise up, O Lord, in your strength.
We will sing and make music because of your might.
Footnotes
- Psalm 21:10 Fruit and seed refer to their descendants.
- Psalm 21:11 Literally stretch out
Psalm 21
King James Version
21 The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
2 Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
3 For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.
4 He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.
5 His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.
6 For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.
7 For the king trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.
8 Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.
9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.
10 Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.
11 For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.
12 Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them.
13 Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.